Holder for belt-fastening means



April 21, 1931. c, OLSEN 1,801,566

HOLDER FOR BELT FASTENING MEANS Filed Aug. 5. 1929 Z ZZZ/6722102 Patented Apr. 21, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT orvice JOHN C. OLSEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO FLEXIBLE LACING STEEL 00., O1 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION .OF ILLINOIS HOLDER For. BELT-FASTENING MEANS Application filed August 5, 1929. Serial No. 383,492.

This invention relates to improvements in holders for belt fastening means and particularly to holders in the form of cards or strips for holding belt fastening means in the form of a plurality of wire hooks in assembled group arrangement to facilitate handling of the same and application thereof to belts. In applying belt fasteners of the type indicated to the ends ofbelts, the usual practice has been to provide a temporary means for' holding a plurality of hooks in assembled relation properly spaced with reference'to each other so that when the temporary holding means containing the hooksis placed in the apparatus for applying and securing'the hooks to a belt, the same will be properly grouped and positioned, the temporary holding means being generally in the form of a card to whichthe hooks are attached in the orderly fashionby the hook forming machine. Such cards, because difficult or inconvenient to remove or detach from the hooks are frequently left in position during the clinching operation, thus not only interfering with the proper application of the hooks, but also causing unevenness due to the paper being interposed between the same and the belt.

'One object'of my invention is to overcome the defects pointed out by providing a temporary holding means for belt fasteners of the wire hook type which is readily detachablefrom the hooks, whereby the holder may be quickly and completely removed before securing the hooks to the belt, thereby assuring neat and accurate application thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a temporary holder or carrier for belt fastening means of the hook type in the form of a card which is provided with slits through which the arms of the hooks may pass, thereby permitting quick and easy removal of the card from the hooks.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a hook holding card or strip provided with openings to accommodate the arms of the hooks, the openings being arranged in sets cooperating with each hook arm, the card having relatively narrow slits extending from one opening to another of each S and communicating therewith, through which the arms may pass, thereby facilitating quick and easy removal of the card from the hooks.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wire hook holding card to which the hooks areso applied that the prongs of the hooks are covered over or concealed to there by prevent the prongs catching and the hooks disturbed in their intended relation, the card and hooks being assembled by the wings of the card moving from the outside over the arms of the hooks.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a hook holding card or strip, partly broken away, illustrating my improvements in connection therewith, and showing the belt hooks carded thereon. Figure 2 is a transverse, sectional View corresponding substantially to the line 52-2 of Figure 1. And Figure 3 is a detailed perspective view, partly broken away, of the improved hook holding card or strip with the hooks removed therefrom.

In carrying out my invention, as illustrated in the embodiment thereof shown in the drawing, I provide a card or strip 10 of sheet material, preferably light cardboard. The strip or card 10 has upstanding side wing portions 1111 spaced apart as shown, connected by a bottom web 20. The side wings 11 have the bottom, sections 12 thereof inclined inwardly toward each other and have the upper portions 13 thereof bent outwardly at an angle as shown, so as to-diverge. Each wing portion 11 is provided with a plurality of perforations or openings 14-14t and 15-15. The openings 14 are arranged in vertically alined pairs and are alternated with the openings 15 which are also arranged in vertically alined pairs. The openings 1515 of each pair are spaced apart a lesser distance than the openings 14-14 of the adjacent pairs. As sh own, the openings 14 and 15 at the upper part of each wing 11 are disposed in the outwardly bent portion 13 of the wing near the crease and are arranged in longitudinal alinement. The openings 14 and 15 at the bottom portion of of each wing are disposed in the section 12 thereof and are staggered. The openings of each pair 1414 and the openings of each pair 1515 are connected by slits 16 as shown, which communicate with the openings.

The belt fastening means illustrated in the drawings comprises a plurality of wire hooks of V-shape form, each hook having diverging arms 17--17 connected by a transverse portion 18 at oneend and having inturned prongs 1919 at the other end. In the present instance, the improved card or strip is shown in the form to receive a series of hooks, alternate ones of which have shorter arms than the others, although it will be understood that the invention is equally applicable to the carding of wire hooks of different designs such as hooks which have one arm thereof longer than the opposite arm, such hooks being usually reversed so that, along one side of the card, the long and short hooks alternate.

In the drawing, the hooks A have the arms of greater length than the hooks B, and when assembled with the card or strip 10 the arms 17 and prongs 19 of the hooks A are engaged through the openings or cutouts 1414 of the wings 11 and the arms 17 and prongs 19 of the shorter hooks B are engaged through the openings 1515. The upper set of openings 14-15 on each wing of the card are in alinement, and the sets of openings 14 and 15 are so staggered that when the gang of hooks are assembled the apices or connecting portion 18 thereof will be in alinement.

The improved holding card or strip is preferably made of sheet material having a certain amount of inherent flexibility and such that it may be easily cut or slitted.

In applying the hooks carried by my improved holder to a belt, the card or strip with the hooks A and B attached thereto, is placed within the holding means of the applying apparatus and the usual holding pin is passed within the apices of the hooks between the diverging arms thereof and disposed in engegement with the connecting portions 18. when the hooks have thus been firmly clamped in the holding means of the applying machine or apparatus the card or strip 10 is detached from the gang or group of hooks by first forcibly pulling the wings laterally from the hooks to clear the arms and prongs, after which it is free to be taken away.

Although in the form of the invention dis closed in the drawing the card or strip is shown as slitted, the invention is not limited thereto, it being evident that the strip or card need only be weakened between the openings instead of slitted and yet accomplish the desired result of permitting passage of the arms and prongs of the hooks through the weakened portions of the card.

Particular attention is called to the fact that the base or web portion 20 of the cardin strip covers over or conceals the inturned prongs of all of the hooks so that danger of the prongs fouling with those of another carded strip or other objects is minimized. Also, it will be noted that the wings of the card or strip 10 are applied from the outside over the arms, prongs and bends of the hooks rather than from a position between the prongs. This is of importance when removing the card or strip from the hooks after the latter have been positioned in the applying machine since the operator, by merely grasping the free and uncut outturned edges of the wings may pull the wings laterally apart, thus disengaging the wings entirely from the arms and prongs of the hooks, whereupon the card or strip may be pulled away and entirely removed from the hooks without the' necessity of tearing the strips which would tend to displace the hooks even in the applying machine.

Another important feature of the improved card or strip 10 resides in the fact that it is equally adaptable to hooks of small as well as large size in that it makes no difference how narrow the spacing between the pointed prongs in the ease or facility with which the wings may be assembled over the arms and prongs. In certain types of carding strips heretofore employed, it has been necessary to enter the same between the hooks and spread the portions outwardly in order to engage the prongs and arms of the hooks and in the case of relatively small size hooks this is a very difficult and unsatisfactory procedure since the available amount of space is so small as to prevent proper manipulation of the strip. It will further be noted that each of the hooks is engaged and supported at two relatively widely spaced points, one point being at each prong and another at each arm approximately midway of the length of the arm. This tends to stabilize the hooks against tilting and misalinement and. due to the fact that there are no slits extending to the free edges of the strip, the attachment is rigid and the stifi'ness of the wings of the card is maintained.

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. A holder for wire belt hooks of the type having an apex, diverging arms and inturned prongs at the ends of the arms comprising: a strip of material formed to provide a base section and side wings, the latter first converging and then diverging at their free edges, each of said wings having an uninterrupted edge and longitudinally spaced apertures, each aperture being adapted to receive a port-ion of an arm and the corresponding adjacent prong of a hook, said wings be ing adapted to be applied laterally from the outside over the arms and prongs of the hooks.

2. A holder for wire belt hooks of the type having an apex, diverging arms and inturned prongs at the ends of the arms comprising: a strip of material formed to provide a base section and side wings, the latter first converging and then diverging at their free edges, said diverging and converging portions of the wings being each provided with a series of longitudinally spaced apertures, each aperture being adapted to receive a prong and adjacent portion of an arm of a hook and the wings being adapted to be applied laterally from the outside over the arms and prongs of the hooks.

'3. A holder for wire belt hooks of the type having an apex, diverging arms and inturned prongs at the ends of the arms, including: a strip of flexible material formed to provide a base section and side wings, the latter first converging and then diverging at their free edges, said Wings each having a series of openings therein adjacent the free edge and series of openings in the wings adjacent the base section, each corresponding pair of openings being united by an intervening slit.

4. A holder for wire belt hooksof the type having an apex, diverging arms and inturned prongs at the ends of the arms, comprising: a strip of flexible material formed to provide a base section and side wings, the latter first converging and then diverging at their free edges, said wings each having a series of openings therein adjacent the free edge and series of openings in the wings adjacent the base section, each corresponding pair of openings being united by an intervening slit, the first named openings being disposed in the diverging portions of the wings and the other openings in the convergin portions thereof.

5. In a holder for wire belt hooks of the type having an apex, diverging arms and inturned prongs at the ends of the arms, comprising: a strip of material formed to provide a base section of a width greater than the distance between the points of the prongs of the hooks and side wings, the latter first converging and then diverging, each of said side wings being provided with a series of pairs of spaced openings connected by an intervening slit, said openings and slits being so disposed that the free edges of the wings remain uncut, the openings engaging the prongs and the side arms of the hooks and the slits being such that the Wings are applied laterally from the outside over the arms and prongs of the hooks.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 30th day of July, 1929.

JOHN C. OLSEN. 

